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WORKING AT HEIGHT AND THE IMPORTANCE OF TRAINING

Falls from height are the single biggest cause of workplace deaths and one of the main causes of major injury within the workplace. Steve Dawson, working at height expert at Arco Professional Safety Services, explains the importance of training for working at height and having the right equipment.

The most tragic consequences of not providing the right training and protective equipment to your work force, can be serious injury or even the death of an employee.  In 2020/21, 35 fatal injuries were due to Falls from a height, accounting for 25% of all worker deaths over the year. [1] Add to this the 17 deaths caused from ‘Struck by moving’ (including flying/falling objects) statistics – which can often be related to Working at Height – and there continues to be a serious need for education and training.

Employers are bound by law under the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and are required to eliminate or reduce the risks when working at height. Anyone in control of any work at height must ensure that the work is properly planned, and carried out by people who have sufficient skills, knowledge and experience. This must include appropriate training at all levels, from project managers to end users of critical safety equipment e.g. PPE & Rescue equipment.

In the first instance, employers should assess the risk and consider alternative methods for getting the job done without the need for working at height. However, if that is not practical, then it is their legal duty to make sure the requirements of the Regulations are met and their employees are kept safe.  As one of the most common high-risk business environments, it is essential that people receive the proper training before commencing work at height. Training solutions can either be tailored to a particular need or provided through a number of off-the-shelf courses. Highly experienced trainers will work with you on or off-site to provide training at all levels of your business.

Why is training so important?

Most would agree that incidents on site start at the risk assessment and planning phase. The end user of PPE doesn’t stand much chance of staying safe if work planners do not have sufficient knowledge and experience to appropriately mitigate the risk in the first instance. Appropriate training at this level is vital and should help mitigate risk but can also result in a more efficient safe system of work. 

If personal fall protection is required, it can only protect the worker if they are competent in its use, aware of why they must use it, and therefore properly trained. Experienced instructors can simulate realistic working environments and provide advice on the correct equipment to use, and how to use it, together with practical training which can be taken back to real life situations.

New and existing industry/trade bodies are acutely aware of the importance of standardised, quality training delivery for Working at Height. The recent release of the Rooftop Safety Training Standard by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) is just one of many examples of industry bodies driving much needed and positive change in their respective sector. There is also an abundance of equipment now available from manufacturers which provides employers with cost effective, practical options to keep workers safe. Training is paramount to ensure end-users understand the advantages and limitations of this equipment when used in their work environment.

Continuing importance of training

Between April and June last year, 32 million working days were lost to COVID-19 related absences. Redundancies, movement restrictions and fluctuating guidelines have made it difficult for organisations to provide their workers with training. As restrictions are lifted and the country moves towards a return to ‘normal’, many businesses are trying to catch up but are struggling to keep up with training requirements. 

Reduced training and a reduction in task-based activity will undoubtedly result in skills fade. The possible consequences in high-risk industries such as working at height, are plain. To maintain skill levels in industry, business leaders are looking at new ways of achieving this. Alongside contingency plans and ‘back to work’ responses, health and safety training must be boosted to ensure that a restructured workforce can cope with high-risk environments and inevitable skill gaps that can occur. 

It’s vital that this training provides workers with the right balance of knowledge and practical skills to be able to deliver their work safely. It is all too tempting for companies to provide their workers with theory only training when social distancing and movement restrictions are in place; however, the shortfall in practical skills could have severe consequences. This is not to say that there is no place for training in the virtual world, there is a balance to be struck where it is safe to do so. The workforce needs the confidence to manage their daily tasks safely but also not to be exposed to the increasing risk of contracting COVID-19 by receiving training in the normal classroom setting. Arco Professional Safety Services has launched several video conference courses and are developing Virtual Reality tools to help organisations keep its workforce safe whilst also maintaining the recommended social distances measures on our practical training courses during COVID-19.  

https://www.arcoservices.co.uk/training/course-finder/video-conference-training  

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[1] https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/pdf/fatalinjuries.pd

The improper use of personal protective equipment (PPE) has cost businesses around £79bn in the last year alone, according to new research.

The report by the AI company Cortexica claims the vast majority (84%) of businesses operating in a high-risk environment lost money from injuries due to PPE non-compliance in the last year.

According to the research, almost a third (30%) of those businesses lost more than £250,000 and 5% lost more than £1m.

It also found that around 29% of workplace injuries last year in companies operating in high-risk environments could have been prevented through the proper use of PPE.

And injury claims, injured and absent workers and the purchase of new equipment are the biggest costs for companies following PPE failure.

The report also found 84% of businesses surveyed still rely on manually checking employees for PPE compliance.

But more than three quarters (78%) said they also believe that AI systems would reduce the risk of accidents by flagging up potential issues.

And almost two thirds (64%) said they intend to invest in AI and machine vision systems to monitor employees PPE within the next five years.

“Personal Protection Equipment compliance is something that businesses operating in high-risk environments have to get right, and the report highlights why” said Cortexica Chief Executive, Iain McCready.

“Not only do they have a duty of care to their employees, but they need to protect themselves from the financial consequences of injuries in the workplace.
 

“To our surprise, the report highlights many businesses are still manually monitoring PPE compliance, even with a number of industry-ready AI applications on the market that can reduce these risks,” added Mr McCready.

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PPE – The importance of equipment inspection, understanding and compliance

Here at Arco Professional Safety Services we can help you be and stay compliant and avoid the dangers of using unsafe equipment. Follow the relevant links below:

• Equip yourself with the necessary PPE at our equipment shop or call us on 01785 850333
• Have your PPE Inspected by our highly qualified PPE inspectors
• Training courses: Inspection Courses | Equipment Awareness Course
• Compliance and Safety Managment – Call us to learn more about CAT. Our CAT (Customer Asset Tracking) system gives you full visibility of competency, inspection and compliance status via the internet. 

Email us on info@arcoservices.co.uk or call us on 01785 850333 for more details about any of the above options.

A coach company in Wrexham has been fined £250,000 after it repeatedly failed to comply with legal notices to get its lifting equipment examined.

Wrexham Magistrates’ Court heard that, between 4 April 2014 and 28 August 2015, GHA Coaches Limited failed to have its lifting equipment thoroughly examined within the required timescales to ensure that health and safety conditions were maintained and that any deterioration could be detected and remedied in good time.

In 2015, an inspection revealed overdue Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER) examinations on at least 14 items. An improvement notice was served, and extended twice, and still resulted in a failure to comply.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that a previous improvement notice was served in 2011.

GHA Coaches Limited, of Vauxhall Industrial Estate, Ruabon, Wrexham, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 9(3)(a)(ii) of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER),and failing to comply with an Improvement Notice, and was fined a total of £250,000 and ordered to pay costs of £3,068.

For further information on lifting equipment visit: http://www.hse.gov.uk/pUbns/indg290.pdf

Notes to Editors:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice, promoting training; new or revised regulations and codes of practice, and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement. www.hse.gov.uk
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk/
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk

Media contacts

Journalists should approach HSE press office with any queries on regional press releases.

PPE Inspections

Are you unsure of the legislation regarding PPE or simply do not have the time to carry out the examinations then let us help you.  Total Access (UK) Ltd has dedicated teams of Inspectors who are fully qualified to carry out formal examinations at our premises, your premises or at serviced offices throughout the UK.

If you own work equipment that is used to protect your employees from a fall from height, you have a legal duty to ensure that it is inspected at suitable intervals (Regulation 12 (3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005).

The inspection must be undertaken by a competent person, who has the relevant knowledge and experience in the subject.

All our inspectors undertake rigorous training and regular audits.  As an independent equipment supplier and trainer our Inspectors have access to a wide range of branded equipment and they learn how it operates in our Training Centre.  As suppliers, Total Access (UK) Limited is kept directly informed of manufacturer recalls, etc of which Inspectors are also kept aware.  In addition they receive manufacturer’s training, in-house training and bespoke LEEA training to inspect lifting accessories.  All Inspectors carry cards to prove competence to our clients.

For more information contact us on: 01785 850333 or sales@totalaccess.co.uk

The Edgehog is a DMM innovation designed for the rope access industry that addresses the issue of safeguarding ropes fed through mesh gratings. Open mesh flooring is commonly used for decking, walkways and platforms on many industrial work sites such as oil rigs, refineries and chemical plants etc.

In order to work below such fittings or gain rescue access, ropes rigged above the grating and passing through it, require greater rope protection than that offered by current solutions. Insufficient protection against sharp edges can cause rope damage, and in the worst case scenario, rope failure.

The Edgehog (EH200) isolates the ropes from the edges of the grating in two smooth tubes with rope friendly radii that are long enough to ensure sufficient clearance with all the mesh flooring we have encountered.

The device simply and quickly bolts to the grating with a 17 mm spanner (can be supplied). The Edgehog has a low profile to minimise the trip hazard and is constructed entirely from marine grade stainless steel for corrosion resistance. It will take ropes up to and including 13 mm in diameter. While the rope can enter the device at an angle of up to 90° it is recommended that on exit the rope makes an angle of no greater than 30° to the vertical.

Materials

• 316 Stainless steel nuts and bolts
• Casting equivalent of 316 stainless steel body

Specifications

• Marine grade stainless steel for enhanced corrosion resistance in offshore environments
• Low profile to minimise trip hazard
• Hex bolts provided for securing to grating
• Maximum rope diameter: 13mm 
• 17mm spanner available

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To find out more about all DMM products and other rope access products visit our online shop: www.totalaccessonline.co.uk

Total Access at the height of innovation – update story

After the Microshocks harness and lanyard’s success as an innovative solution to the problem of Microshocks faced by the linesmen, the University of Manchester has released a case study document. This case study brings together the research and work of Professor Simon Rowland and his student Yasir Ahmed, to tell you a little more about the process and invention of, with the help of P+P and Total Access (UK) Ltd, the Microshock harness and lanyard system.

They case study covers information about the need for the system, Quotes from Graham Burnett, CEO of Total Access (UK) Ltd and Wayne Steel, Equipment and Procedure Engineer at Nation Grid. The case study covers key questions for Professor Simon Rowland such as, was the application of the discovery/invention apparent from the outset? What were your aspirations for getting involved in the commercialisation process? Do you have any advice for colleagues thinking of licencing a discovery? And what does the future hold for the Microshock climbing protection system?

You can also read the news article by UMI3 in their Newsletter online through the link: http://umip.com/news/newsletters/

As well as this case study the UMIP – University of Manchester Innovation company – a vibrant enterprise conferencing and networking centre, and its intellectual property commercialisation services, on Wednesday December 10th, UMIP will be celebrating its 10 year anniversary, 2004 – 2014 and arranging an event in their Innovation Centre at which will display a gallery of 12 or so University innovations which have been commercialised since 2004. The Microshock system will be one of the 12 being exhibited. The event starts at 10:30 with an hour of 15 min presentations by innovation funders, academics and licensees/spin-outs and will finish at around 2pm. We will have more information about the event to bring to you in September.

For more information about our Micro-shocks harness and lanyard visit our equipment pages: http://www.totalaccess.co.uk/Equipment/Bespoke-Equipment/Micro-Shock-Harness-and-Lanyard this webpage will alos tell you all about the background and technology of the Harness and how it works.

For more information about the harness and lanyards or to discuss prices please contact our equipment department on:  01785 85033 or email sales@totalaccess.co.uk

Cresto recently launched an exciting new product  at the A+A show in Germany this year – the ResQ DD.

The ResQ DD has been developed for extreme environments – specifically for work at height or rescue at heights, where user simplicity and reliance are key factors. Thanks to its easy engagement/disengagement of the hoist mechanism and the fact that there are no surfaced spinning parts that can cause problems or even injuries, the new ResQ DD meets and exceeds our expectations.

The newly patented and innovative ResQ DD, is the first in line to be certified according to the new EN-341:2011/1B standard for the maximum load of 280 kg and multiple descents up to 200 meter or single descent with 280 kg up to 600 meter.

The ResQ DD will be a great addition to the ResQ product range, which currently includes the ResQ RedPro, ResQ SmartLine and ResQ-Alf.

ResQ DD Cresto takes innovation to new heights!

To find out more, watch the ResQ DD film here.

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